Three-dimensional memory device



April 6, 1954 J. T. POTTER 2,674,728

THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE Filed April 26. 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. John ZPorrer- A TTORNEYS April 6, 1954 J. T. POTTER 2,674,728 THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY mzvxcs Filed April 26, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. v John 77Porrer 01744 ldZM? A T TORNE Y8 Patented Apr. 6, 1954 UNITED STATES RATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention is concerned with cataloging or filing devices, and in particular with what may be termed three-dimensional memory devices. The present application is in the nature of a continuation-in-part of my copendin application Serial No. 47,292, filed September 1, 1948, now Patent No. 2,620,389, for Three- Dimensional Selector and Memory Device.

The filing and cataloging of information is becoming an increasingly complex problem because of the scope and variety of accounts and merchandise handled by modern organizations. Mail order houses, for instance, handle thousands of items. The manual handling of thousands of daily orders for these items is for these people a problem of major importance.

The application of electronics to the problem as set forth in my pending applications constitutes a major step in the solution of the problem. The devices disclosed in said applications may, for example, catalog ten thousand items and expeditiously select information about each, under the control of two simple and fast coordinate selectors.

The present system has to do with improvements in the basic system and the practical organization of apparatus for carrying out the objects of the above identified applications. The invention provides a method and means for speeding up the selection of the desired information.

A primary object is to increase the speed of operation of a three-dimensional memory device.

A further object is to simplify the operation of a three-dimensional electronic memory device.

These and other objects will be apparent from the detailed description of the invention given, in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing Fig. l a fragmentary perspective view of practical and advantageous illustrative mechaembodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the circuits of either of two coordinate selectors employed in the device; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrative of the mechanism for controlling the lifting and restoring of a selected record frame.

In Fig. l a magazine I comprises parallel, upright, slotted plates 2 and 3. The slots 4 are formed in confronting faces of the. plates and extend vertically in parallel relation to one another. The slots of the plates are paired, each pair of slots being designed to slidingly receive and support a record frame 5. For illustrative purposes it may be assumed that there are one hundred of the record frames 5. Each record frame 5 carries a large number of vertically extending wires 6, which number may illustrative- 1y be assumed to be one hundred. The wires are of steel and have magnetic recordings upon them, so that each wire constitutes a sound track. Each record frame 5 has notches 1 formed in opposite ends of its upper margin. In the normal positions of the frames the notches l are disposed in two aligned rows, one at either side of the magazine.

A lifting bail 8 having inturned fingers e is adapted to be operated in a fore and aft direction to select any frame desired. During such selection the inturned fingers 9 of the bail 3 travel along the lines of notches I and come to rest in position to cooperate with the selected frame.

The bail 8 is carried by a rack II! which is mounted for vertical sliding movement in a main carriage II. The main carriage H carries a motor I 2 on whose shaft l3 a pinion I4 is made fast. The pinion M meshes with the rack Hi and is driven in opposite directions by the motor 12 to raise and lower the rack. The rack H3 and the bail 8 jointly form a record frame lifter.

The main carriage l l is supported for fore and aft horizontal movement upon stationary guides I5, I 6, l1 and [8 which form parts of a stationary frame I 9.

Movement of the main carriage H to carry the ball 8 into cooperative relation with a selected frame 5 is also effective to carry the magnetic pick-up 20 into position just above the selected frame. The magnetic pick-up is carried by a sub-carriage 21 which is slidably mounted in guides 22 (one shown) forming part of a main carriage extension 23. The sub-carriage 2! is adapted to be operated widthwise of a frame to locate the pick-up 20 just above a selected wire of the frame.

The description thus far given is equally applicable to the present illustrative mechanism, and to the illustrative mechanism of Figs. 1 to 5 of Serial No. 47,292. Novel operating, arresting and selecting mechanism is, however, en1=- ployed in the present illustrative construction.

For effecting selection of the frames and selection of the wires, coordinate selectors are employed each comprising a predetermined electronic counter 24 (see Fig. 2) of the kind disclosed and claimed in my pending application Serial No. 657,581, filed March 27, 1946, now Patent No. 2,574,283, for Predetermined Electronic Counter.

This counter may comprise two stationary decimal denomination dial wheels 25 and 26, each having ten divisions marked from zero to 9, and manually settable pointers 25a and 26a mounted on shafts 25b and 26b, and operated by knobs 25c and 260.

It is characteristic of this counter that ii, starting with the mechanism in the zero or normal condition, the decimal wheels are individually set to any desired combination, the number indicated by the wheels will be instantaneously and automatically set up in the counter mechanism upon the application of a single impulse over conductors 21 and 28, which may be supplied from a conductor 29 upon the mere instantaneous closing of a switch 30. Once that initial count is set into the apparatus, the mechanism will automatically count impulses as fast as they are received until the capacity of the counter is exhausted, the capacity in this instance being 100. As the counter passes from 99 to an output circuit of the predetermined counter comprising conductors 3| and 32 is deenergized. Assuming that it is the main carriage that we are now dealing with, although the control mechanism for the sub-carriage is similar, the attainment of the predetermined count (corresponding to the differences between 100 and the decimal wheel setting) results in an arresting of the main carriage and a discontinuance of the supplying of impulses to the counter, as will now be made clear.

The main carriage ll (Figs. 1 and 2) is driven from a motor 33, fixed on the frame I9, through a pinion 34 and a rack 35, the rack forming part of the main carriage ll. As the operation proceeds from the starting position, a finger 36 forming part of an impulse transmitter 3? is caused to bear yieldingly against and ride over the teeth 38 formed on the lower surface of the rack 35. An impulse is transmitted for each tooth passed over. There is one impulse-producing tooth for each frame 5, the spacing of the teeth being the same as the spacing of the frames, so that each frame traversed is represented by an impulse transmitted to the counter.

The finger 36 is movably mounted upon a form 39 which carries a coil 40. The finger 36 may be magnetized or may be connected to a suitable electromagnet for inductively generating a single impulse in the coil 40 each time that it snaps over a tooth of the toothed face 38. The

impulses generated in the coil 40 are transmitted through conductors 4i and 42 to the predetermined counter 24.

The impulse generator 31 is mounted upon an arm 43 which is supported on a pivot pin 54 carried by the stationary frame [9. A spring 45 tends to draws the arm 43 in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 2) against a fixed stop 46. Whenever the count in the predetermined counter is anything other than 00, however, the circuit through the conductors 3| and 32 is energized, and this causes an electromagnet M to be energized. The electromagnet 4! draws the arm 43 toward itself and maintains the finger 36 in contact with the toothed face 38 of the rack 35.

As the counter passes from 99 to 00, however, the electromagnet 41 is deenergized and the spring 45 is permitted to hold the finger 36 away from the toothed face 38 and to maintain it 4 clear of the teeth until a fresh predetermined count has been set up in the counter.

The main carriage II also carries upon an extension plate 43 a pair of toothed bars 43 and 50 (Fig. 1) which are guided, respectively, in the guide members I! and i8. These bars 49 and 50 are designed to arrest motion of the main carriage H with the bail 8 in position to cooperate with the selected frame. Since the bars are duplicates of one another, only one of them, namely, 49 has been illustrated in Fig. 2. Each bar has teeth 5| formed on its lower face at intervals corresponding to the spacing of the frames 5, there being one tooth for each frame. The theeth are slanted so that they are adapted to arrest forward movement of the main carriage when obstructed.

In association with each of the bars 39 and 50 there is mounted upon a stationary bracket 52, carried by the main frame, a rockable pawl 53. The tail of the pawl is normally drawn downward by a spring 5 1 which is connected to the tail of the pawl and to a stationary pin 55. The tendency of the spring 54 is to swing the sharp nose of the pawl up into engagement with the opposed teeth 5| and thereby to arrest the carriage.

During the forward travel of the carriage to select the frame an electromagnet 5%; carried by the bracket 52 acts upon the pawl 53 to hold it out of engagement with the bar 49. As will be seen from an examination of Fig. 2, the electromagnet is connected through hranch conductors 51 and $53 with the conductors 3| and 32. Since the electromagnet is deenergized as the counter passes from 99 to 00, the pawl 53 is made effective at the conclusion of the predetermined count to arrest the main carriage in the selected position. While the electromagnet and the pawl associated with the bar 49 have been described above, it will be understood that the description is equally applicable to the electromagnet and pawl associated with the bar 59 and the same reference characters have accordingly been applied to corresponding parts. In Fig. 2 both electromagnets 56 are shown, but the associated parts such as the bracket 52, pawl 53, spring 54, and teeth 5i are omitted in one instance. To represent the main carriage mechanism accurately all of the parts would be included in duplicate, but to represent the sub-carriage mechanism they and the electromagnet 56 would be included only once, as indicated by Fig. 1.

Forward operation of the motor 33 to select a record frame is made possible by the fact that a switch 59 (Fig. 2) in the forward drive, field circuit of the motor is held closed while this operation is going on. The switch 59* is held closed by an electromagnet 69 which is connected through branch conductors 6i and G2 to the conductors 3i and 32. It will be remembered that the circuit containing conductors 3i and 32 is energized at all times when the predetermined counter has any count in it other than 00.

At the time when the counter dials 25 and 25 have been set and the switch 39 has been closed for an instant, the electromagnet G9 is energized and the switch 59 is closed. At that time a switch handle 63 may be swung counter-clockwise to the position marked Forward to set the motor 33 into forward operation. The switch handle 63 is fast on a shaft 64 which carries three conductive switch members 65, 65 and 6']. The conductors 65 and 66 are connected to a line conductor 68 through conductors 89 and 10,

respectively. I The conductor 51 is connected to line conductor 1I through conductors 12 and 13.

Swinging of the switch handle 63 to the forward position carries the switch members 65, 66 and 61 into engagement, respectively, with contacts 14, 15 and 16. Current passing from line conductor 68 over conductor 69 is transmitted through switch member 65, contact 14 and conductors 11 and 18 to the armature of motor 33. From the armature of motor 33, the circuit is completed back to the line H through conductor 13.

Engagement of switch member 66 with contact 15 causes a circuit to be closed from line conductor 68 through conductors 69 and 19, member 66, contact 15, a conductor 19, switch member 59, a conductor 80, and a conductor 9! to field winding 82 of the motor 33. From the field winding the circuit is continued over conductors B3 and 84 to contact 16. The circuit is completed through the switch member 61 and conductors 12 and 13 to the line conductor 1!.

When, as an incident of the predetermined counter passing from 99 to 00, the circuit including conductors 3| and 32 is deenergized, this results in the deenergization of the electromagnet 60 so that the switch member 59 moves to an open position. The motor is, therefore, deenergized concurrently with the swinging into action of the stop detents 53, and cannot be operated in a forward direction again until a count other than is again set up in the predetermined counter.

When the main carriage II has been thus operated through the action of the motor 33 to select a desired record frame, the sub-carriage H is next operated through substantially identical mechanism to select a desired wire on the frame. The diagrammatic showing of Fig. 2 may be regarded in every way as applicable to the sub-carriage, the mechanism for operating the main carriage being substantially duplicated for the sub-carriage. In the case of the sub-carriage 2i, however, the impulse generator 31;; (Fig. 1),

which is pivoted on pin 441/ mounted on the exr tension 23 of the main carriage II, has its finger 36y arranged to cooperate with teeth 33;; formed in a portion of the upper face of the subcarriage 2 I. The sub-carriage 2| includes a rack 35y, which is driven through a pinion 3411 from a reversible motor 33y. The arresting pawl 53y, pivotally mounted upon a bracket 52y, cooperates with stop teeth Sly formed on the lower face of the sub-carriage 2I. The pawl 53y is urged toward engagement with the teeth 2/ by a spring 54y, but is held out of engagement with the teeth by an electromagnet 56y while the motor 33y is operating in a forward direction.

The impulse generator 3111 is the same in all respects as the impulse generator 31 save that, as shown, it is mounted in an inverted position. The inversion of the device does not, however, have any influence upon the mode of operation.

When the predetermined counter which controls the operation of the sub-carriage 2| has been set and the motor 33y has been operated to move the sub-carriage to a selected position, the pick-up 29 is located to have the selected wire carried past it by the operation of the bail 8, so that the recorded information on the wire can be picked up and transmitted to any suitable utilization mechanism such as a loudspeaker or mechanism controlled by code impulses.

The pick-up 29 (Figs. 1 and 3) is carried upon a support 85, which is pivotally mounted by means of a hinge 86 upon the lower end of an arm 81 which forms part of the sub-carriage 2|. The support 85 is urged in a clockwise direction by a spring 88 connected at its opposite ends to said support and to a pin 89 carried by the arm 8?. A bracket 99 on the arm 81 supports a coil 9! which forms part of an electromagnet. The armature 92 of the electromagnet is pivotally carried by the pivoted support 85 and extends into the coil. The electromagnet is effective to hold the pick-up 29 back away from its operative position at all times except when the wire 6 itself is actually being drawn past the pick-up head in an upward direction.

In other words, the electromagnet holds the pick-up head back while the carriage and subcarriage are being operated to effect selections and continues to hold the pick-up out of the way until the bail 8 and the upper margin of the selected frame 5 have moved upward far enough to clear the pick-up. The electromagnet is then de-energized to permit the pick-up to swing forward into close proximity to the selected wire, so that it will be effective to pick-up the information as the wire travels upward. At the completion of the upward travel of the selected record frame, the motor I2 is automatically reversed and the winding 9I is automatically re-energized to pull the pick-up back away from the wire 9 so that no magnetically generated impulses will be transmitted by the pick-up during the restoration of the record frame to its normal position.

The mechanism for effecting these operations is illustrated in Fig. 3. Four radially aligned contacts 93, 94, and 96 are utilized during the lifting operation of the motor I2 in conjunction with four radially aligned contacts 91 98, 99 and E99 which are carried upon a rotatable contact disk E95. The disk IIII is mounted upon a shaft I92 which has an operating pinion I93 made fast upon it. On the reverse stroke of the rack I9, when the motor I2 is operating in the opposite direction, the motor connections are controlled through the same four contacts 91, 98, 99 and I99 of the disk HII in cooperation with four stationary contacts I94, I95, I96 and I91. In the last mentioned condition of the parts a fifth contact I98 of the disk I9I cooperates with a stationary contact i 99 for the purpose of rendering the pick-up inactive during the down-stroke of the rack I0.

At the time when the two carriages have been operated to effect selection of the frame and wire and the selected frame is to be lifted by the bail 9, the contacts 91, E99, 98, 99 and I99 of the disk It stand in vertical alignment above the axis of the shaft I92. At that time a switch I I9 is manually closed for the purpose of setting the motor I2 into operation. The switch III] is connected to a conductor i I l which is connected to line conductor 1I. When the switch I I9 is closed it connects the conductor III to a conductor H2. The conductor I i2 is connected to the winding N3 of an electromagnet IIG which is supported upon a bracket II5 fast on the main carriage II. The winding 5 I 3 is connected to line conductor 68 through a conductor H6.

A pawl arm H1 is pivotally mounted on the bracket i E5 to operate between positions determined by upper and lower stops H8 and H9. A spring I 29 holds the arm I I1 in engagement with the lower stop H9 whenever the winding H3 is unenergized, but the arm H1 is drawn upward until arrested by engagement of a, pawl I I1a with the stop II 8 whenever the winding H3 is energized. The arm II1 has pivotally mounted upon its outer end the pawl Illa which engages a combined ratchet wheel and gear 12 I. The teeth of the gear I2I are in mesh with the teeth of the pinion I03 on the shaft 02. Upward movement of the arm III produced by energization of the winding II3 is effective to advance the disk IOI clockwise through one-third of a revolution, and hence to carry the contacts 91, I08, 98, 99 and I90 from their position of vertical alignment to the position in which they are illustrated in Fig. 3.

As soon as the disk iI has been operated, the switch I I0 is permitted to open so that the winding I I3 is deenergized and the arm I I1 is returned to its normal position, the pawl IIIa during this return movement sliding idly over the ratchet teeth of the combined ratchet and gear i2 I, said pawl Illa being held against the ratchet wheel by a spring (not shown).

A conductor I22, connected to line conductor 1!, is connected through a brush I23 with a conconductive ring I24 on the disk I02, and through the ring with disk contact 91. This ring I24, when the parts are in the Fig. 3 position, is connected through contacts 91 and 93 with a conductor 225 which goes to the armature of the motor From the armature the current travels over a conductor I25 through contacts 9'8 and I90 to a ring I21 of the disk Iiil. The circuit is completed through a brush I29 and conductors E29 and I39 to line conductor 98.

Line conductor H is also conn cted through conductor I22 and a branch conductor I3I to a brush I32, which runs in engagement with a conductive ring I33 of the disk IIH. The ring I33 is connected in turn to contact 93 which,

through contact 94, transmits current to a conductor I34, which goes to the field winding I35 of the motor I2. From the field winding I35 the current is transmitted over a conductor 39 to contacts 95 and 99. The contact 99 is connected to a conductive ring I31 of the disk i0I, which runs in engagement with a brush i38. The brush I38 is connected through the conductor I30 with line conductor 58.

It will be seen that the movement of the disk J IOI into the position illustrated in Fig. 3 causes both the field and armature circuits of the motor I2 to be completed, and as a consequence the motor is operated to drive the pinion I4 in a direction to raise the rack i9.

As the rack starts upward, the pick-up 29 is held back by the winding SI, which is energized at this time. The condition of the parts illustrated in Fig. 3 is that which exists on the upward stroke just after the winding 9I has been deenergized.

At the start of the up-stroke a projection I39 at the upper end of the rack I9 is in engagement with the lower end of a downwardly extending arm I49 of a bellcrank switch lever I4I. The projection I39, acting on the arm I49, maintains the switch arm I42 of the bell crank I4! in engagement with a contact M3. The righthand face of the arm I40 in the described condition of the parts extend straight and in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the rack I0 to maintain the switch arm I42 in the closed condition during the initial upward movement of the rack I9.

With the parts in the condition just described the circuit is completed through the winding 9i as follows:

From line conductor 1I current passes through a conductor I44,.contact I43, switch I42, conductor I45, conductor I46, winding 9|, and finally conductor I41 back to line conductor 68.

As the rack I0 moves upward carrying the bail 8 and the upper margin of the selected frame 5 past the pick-up 20, and just after the upper margin has cleared the pick-up, the projection I39 comes opposite a cut-out I48 in the arm I40. This permits the switch member I42 to move to an open position as illustrated in Fig. 3, so that the winding 9| is deenergized and the pick-up 20 is caused by the spring 88 to swing into proximity to the selected one of the wires 6. As the rack continues to travel upward, the information recorded on the wire 6 is transmitted by the pick-up over conductors I50 and I5I.

As the rack I0 nears its upward limit of movement, the upper face of the projection I39 engages a bar I52 supported at opposite ends by arms I52a rigid on a rock shaft I53. The rock shaft has an arm I53a which bears against the upper face of a switch member I54. As the bar I52 is operated counter-clockwise by the projection I39, the switch member I54 is swung to a closed position by the arm I53a. This completes a circuit from line conductor II through a conductor I55, switch I54, conductors I56 and H2, electromagnet winding H3, and conductor IIB, back to line conductor 68.

The pawl arm [I1 is accordingly drawn upwardly through its full operating stroke to advance the contacts 91, I08, 98, 99 and I00 through another step of into engagement, respectively, with contacts I04, I09, I05, I96 and I01. This shift is effective to reverse the direction of operation of the motor I2 and to re-energize the winding 9I, as will now be explained.

The energizing circuit for winding 9I may be traced out from line conductor 1I through conductor I22, branch conductor I22a, brush I22b, ring I22c, contacts I08 and I09, conductors I22d and I43, winding 9|, and conductor I41 back to line conductor 68.

The circuit through the motor armature may be traced out from line conductor 1| to conductor I22, brush I23, ring I24, contacts 91 and I04, conductors I51, and I25 to the armature, thence over conductors I26 and IE8, contacts I01 and I00, ring I21, brush I29 and conductors I29 and I30 back to line conductor 68.

The circuit through the field winding I35 is in the opposite direction from that previously described. The circuit may be traced from line conductor 1I through conductors I22 and I3I, brush I32, ring I33, contacts 98 and I05, conductor I36, winding I35, conductors I34 and I59, contacts I06 and 99, ring I31, brush I38 and conductor I30 to line conductor 68.

As soon as the reverse operation of the motor begins, the rack I9 starts to move downward, and the projection I39 is carried out of engagement with the bar I52 permitting the switch member I54 to return to its open position. As soon as the switch member returns to its open position, the winding II3 of electromagnet H4 is de-energized and the pawl arm H1 is permitted to perform its downward or idle stroke returning to engagement with the stop II9.

As the rack continues downward the selected wire is carried downward past the pick-up 20, but the pick-up is held retracted out of the range of influence of the wire, so that no impulses are transmitted by the pick-up. This is especially important if code imnulses are record- .9 ed rather than speech; Speech in reverse is unintelligible and, therefore, readily distinguishable from the clear information given as the wire is carried upward. Code impulses in reverse, when applied to mechanism designed to :be responsive to code impulses, produce spurious operation which is likely to confuse or misinform the operator.

As the rack nears its lower limit of movement, the projection I39 reengages the arm I49 to actuate the bell crank MI, shifting the switch arm I 42 again to its closed condition. For the remainder of the downward movement this merely provides an additional path from line conductor H to winding 9| for holding the pick-up away from the wire and frame. At the conclusion of the downward movement it serves to maintain the coil 9| energized.

As the rack arrives substantially at its lower limit of movement, the lower face of the projection H engages a bar I68 supported by two arms I tile rigid on a rock shaft I 6| pivoted upon the main frame. An arm Itla of the rock shaft I6! engages the lower side of a switch member I62, and in response to the motion imparted by the projection I 39 raises the switch member I52 to a closed condition. This closes a circuit through the winding H3 to impart a third step of 120 to the disk WI. The circuit through the winding I I 3 may in this case be traced from line conductor II through conductor i212, ring I24, contacts 91 and I I34, conductors I 5'! and I25, conductor I63, switch I 62, conductors I56 and H2, winding I I3 and finally conductor H6 back. to line conductor 68.

As the disk IIII moves forward through its final step of 120, the contact 91 is carried out of engagement with the contact I64, thus breaking the circuit through the winding II 3. The pawl arm ill is, therefore, permitted to return to its normal position. At the conclusion of the third step all of the parts are restored to their initial positions, so that when desired a new cycle can be brought about simply by the instantaneous closing of the switch III].

After the motor I2 has been operated through a complete cycle in the manner described, it is desirable and at times necessary to return the main carriage It and the sub-carriage 2I to their original starting positions.

It will be remembered that throughout the forward operation of the main carriage, the circuit comprising conductors 3i and 32 was energized, but that this circuit was automatically de-energized as the predetermined counter passed from 99 to 00. An electromagnet I II (Fig. 2) connected to the conductors 3I and 32 through branch conductors I12 and I13 serves to hold open a switch H4 throughout the forward operation of the motor. It is essential that this switch be closed throughout the return operation of the motor 33 and the main carriage II, as will presently appear.

The switch H4 is included in a circuit which comprises a conductor I15, the switch 114, a conductor Il'fi, an electromagnet I11 and a conductor I it. This circuit is energized at all times saved when the switch I 24 is open. The electromagnet Ill acts upon a switch I79 which is included in the field circuit employed during the return or restoring operation of the motor.

With the de-energization of the electromagnet I'II upon the arrival of the main carriage at the selected position, -the switch I I4 closes, and through the electromagnet II'l causes the switch 10 I I9 to close. This conditions the parts for the reverse operation.

When the switch handle 63 (Fig. 2) is now swung to the right to the Reverse position, the switch members 65, 66 and 6! are carried into engagement, respectively, with stationary contacts I80, I8I and I82. The armature circuit thus established is substantially the same as before. It may be traced from line conductor 68 through conductor 69 to switch member 65, contact I80, conductor 18, the armature itself and conductor 13 back to line conductor II.

The field circuit may be traced from line conductor 68 through conductors 69 and i0, switch member 55, contact I8I, conductor 83, field winding 82, conductor 8I, switch member I 79, conductor I 83, contact I82, switch member 61, conductor 72 and conductor 13, back to line conductor II. This causes the motor to operate in the reverse direction.

As it does so, the bar 49 is moved toward the right (Fig. 2) and near the end of its reverse or restoring movement carries an abutment I84 into engagement with a tail portion I85 of the switch I14. This moves the switch I14 to an open condition, causing the motor field circuit to be broken, so that the motor is caused to come to rest.

The motor cannot now be further operated in eithe rdirection until a number other than 00 has been set up in the predetermined counter. When that occurs, the circuit comprising conductors 3I and 32 is re-energized, and the switch 59 is drawn closed to condition the forward operating circuit for operation upon movement of the switch handle 63 to the forward position. The switch I'M continues to be held open by the abutment I84, so long as the bar 49 remains in the normal idle position. As the bar 49 moves forward, the abutment I 84 leaves engagement with the switch H4, but the switch continues then to be held open by the electromagnet I'II.

It will be observed that the electromagnet 4'! is maintained unenergized throughout the reverse operation of the main carriage, so that the impulse transmitter 3! is inactive to transmit impulses into the counter during the reverse or restoring operation, the finger 35 being disengaged from the rack 35. Thus the 00 setting of the counter mechanism is mentioned. When the carriage has been restored, however, and a count other than 00 has been set up in the predetermined counter, the electromagnet 4'! is re-energized and causes the impulse transmitter 31 to be again rendered and maintained effective during the ensuing forward operation of the carriage.

The description of the mechanism of Fig. 2 both as to its construction and operation with respect to the restoring operation is .applicable equally to the operation of the motor 33 which drives the main carriage, and to the operation of the motor 33y which drives the sub-carriage.

To summarize briefly, with both carriages II and 2I in their initial positions and both predetermined counters 24 standing at 00, selected numbers are setup by the operation of the dials 25 and 26 of the two predetermined counters. In each instance the switch 30 (Fig. 2) is instantaneously closed to run the set-up number in to the associated counter mechanism.

The switch handle 63 for controlling the motor 33 is then swung to its Forward position. The switch handle 63 for controlling the motor 33y may be simultaneously swung to its forward posi- 1 1 tion if desired, so that the two selecting operations may progress simultaneously.

When the selections have been thus effected, the switch H (Fig. 3) is closed to cause the motor 12 and its associated rack to go through their complete operating cycle. As soon as this cycle is complete, the motor operating switch handles 6-3 may be swung simultaneously to their Reverse positions to restore both the carriage l! and the subcarriage 2| simultaneously to the initial condition.

The parts are now ready for the running of new numbers into the predetermined counters and a repetition of the entire sequence of oper ations described.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiment of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiment shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an information storing, selecting and reproducing system, in combination, a large number of magnetizable record tracks supported in parallel relation to one another and arranged in lines, a magnetic pick-up for cooperating with any one of the tracks to be selected, a selector comprising a predetermined counter, means for setting up a selected number in the counter, an impulse generator constructed and arranged to transmit a counting impulse to the counter for each line passed, a carriage for moving the pickup, a carriage driving motor, mechanism responsive to the counter at a predetermined point in the cycle thereof to deenergize the motor and arrest the carriage, means for operating the motor in a reverse direction to restore the carriage to its starting position, and means for holding the impulse generator inactive during the restoring operation.

2. In an information storing, selecting and reproducing system, in combination, a large number of magnetizable record tracks supported in parallel relation to one another and arranged in lines, a magnetic pick-up for cooperating with any one of the tracks to be selected, a selector comprising a predetermined counter, means for setting up a selected number in the counter, a carriage for moving the pick-up, a ratchet bar on the carriage, an impulse generator connected to transmit a counting impulse to the counter for each line of record tracks passed by said pick-up, a stop cooperative with the ratchet bar to arrest forward movement of the carriage, and electromagnetic mechanism normally holding the stop inactive during advancing movement of the carriage, but responsive to the attainment of a predetermined count in the counter to shift the stop to an effective position.

3. In an information storing, selecting and reproducing system, in combination, a magazine member containing a large number of magnetizable record tracks supported in parallel relation to one another and arranged in lines, a magnetic pick-up member for cooperating with any one of the record tracks to be selected, one of said members being movable relative to the other, means for setting up a selected number in a counter, an impulse generator constructed and arranged to transmit a counting impulse to said counter for each line passed, a motor for driving the movable member in forward and reverse directions, mechanism responsive to said counter at a predetermined point in the cycle thereof to arrest forward drive of the motor, and. limiting mechanism automatically efiective at a predetermined point in the travel of the movable member to arrest reverse movement thereof.

4. An information storing, selecting and reproducing system comprising, in combination, a magazine having a multiplicity of magnetizable record tracks supported in parallel relation to one another and arranged in rows and columns, a magnetic pick-up for cooperating with any one of the tracks to be selected, mechanism for relatively moving the selected record track and the pick-up lengthwise of the track, and control mechanism comprising a manually operable control member and means automatically responsive to said member to cause such relative movement to be effected first in one direction, then to be automatically reversed, and finally to be arrested when the initial relation of the parts has been restored.

5. An information storing, selecting and reproducing system as set forth in claim 4 in which a pick-up carrier is provided and the pick-up is movably mounted upon the carrier with capacity for movement between an advanced operative position, and a retracted inoperative position, and which further includes means for causing the pick-up to be retracted throughout relative movement of the pick-up and the record track in one direction and to be advanced throughout the major portion at least of such relative movement in the opposite direction.

6. An information storing, selecting and reproducing system comprising, in combination, a magazine having a multiplicity of record frames each including a multiplicity of record tracks arranged in parallel relation, a magnetic pick-up for cooperating with any one of the tracks to be selected, mechanism for shifting the pickup to select a particular frame and a particular track of the frame, a frame lifter shiitable with the pick-up in the frame selecting movement, a carrier for the pick-up upon which the pick-up is movably mounted with capacity for movement between an advanced operative position and a retracted inoperative position, and means for holding the pick-up retracted until the lifter and the upper margin of the frame have been car ried upward clear of the pick-up and for then shifting the pick-up into operative position in close proximity to the selected track.

7. An information storing, selecting and reproducing system as set forth in claim 6 in which mechanism is provided for automatically reversing the direction of movement of the lifter at the conclusion of the lifting movement and other mechanism is provided for causing the pick-up to be retracted throughout the downward movement of the lifter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,715,666 McCoy June 4, 1929 2,080,100 Tauchek May 11, 1937 2,167,459 Long July 25, 1939 2,435,066 Barsh Jan. 27, 1948 2,481,398 Danisch Sept. 6, 1949 2,517,559 Haight et a1. Aug. 8, 1950 2,528,161 Miloche Oct. 31, 1950 2,540,654 Cohen et a1. Feb. 6, 1951 2,620,389 Potter Dec. 2, 1952 OTHER REFERENCES Electronics, Mar. 1947, pp. -123, Predetermined Counters. 

